A builder's warranty sets out which defects the builder covers, when coverage begins and ends, and how you must report a problem after closing. It is not blanket protection against every repair: exclusions, homeowner maintenance responsibilities, and separate manufacturer warranties affect which claims qualify. Read the written warranty before closing, then report defects through the required channel as soon as you discover them.
- How does a builder’s warranty work on a new custom home? Written coverage, exclusions, and reporting deadlines control each claim.
- Murray Custom Homes provides a one-year limited builder’s warranty, subject to the warranty handbook’s terms and exclusions.
- Report covered defects in writing promptly and no later than 30 days before the warranty expires.
- For emergencies, call first and follow with a written request within 24 hours.
How does a builder's warranty work on a new custom home?
A builder's warranty is a written commitment to address qualifying defects under stated conditions. Your job is to preserve the documents, recognize the reporting requirements, and submit a clear request; the builder evaluates that request against the warranty rather than treating every concern as automatically covered.
For Murray Custom Homes, the applicable protection is a one-year limited builder's warranty, subject to the warranty handbook's terms and exclusions. The period begins at closing. The warranty addresses substantial conformity with plans and specifications and covered material defects in equipment, materials, or workmanship performed by the builder, subcontractors, or suppliers.
Follow this sequence:
- Read the handbook. Identify covered work, exclusions, notice requirements, and your maintenance obligations before closing.
- Record closing. Keep the closing date with your warranty documents so you can track the coverage period.
- Document the issue. Record the location, symptoms, discovery date, and relevant photographs.
- Submit notice. Use the required reporting channel and meet the written-notice deadline.
- Keep records. Save the request, responses, appointments, and any instructions about the next step.
This explanation reflects the warranty page and New Construction Warranty & Customer Handbook, pages 6–8, verified October 19, 2026. Use the handbook supplied for your home to check the governing terms.
Why this matters
A new home brings together construction work, installed equipment, finishes, and ongoing homeowner care. Those responsibilities do not all belong to the same warranty. Sending a request to the wrong party or waiting too long creates avoidable complications.
Murray Custom Homes' promise, “We Create Luxury Living,” starts with thoughtful design and personal guidance. After closing, the written warranty defines the builder's repair obligations; it does not replace routine care or the instructions supplied with individual products.
For a 2026 closing, organize your warranty information before move-in distractions take over. Store the handbook alongside the final plans, specifications, closing documents, and product manuals so you can find the relevant record when a concern appears.
What does the builder's warranty cover?
The central question is whether the condition falls within the written coverage. A problem involving covered workmanship is different from ordinary maintenance, and a product malfunction can require a separate manufacturer claim.
Use this comparison to identify the right starting point. It describes distinct responsibilities, not interchangeable forms of protection.
| Responsibility | Best for | What to check | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder's limited warranty | Reviewing suspected covered construction defects | Plans, specifications, covered work, exclusions, and notice requirements | Not every condition or repair qualifies |
| Manufacturer warranty | Reviewing a product-specific coverage question | The actual product's documents and claim instructions | Coverage and duration require product-by-product verification |
| Homeowner maintenance | Caring for the home and its components | Handbook duties and product care instructions | Maintenance is not a builder-warranty repair |
Start with the written coverage, not the assumption that anything new must be covered. Describe what you observe without deciding the technical cause yourself. The condition still needs review against the applicable terms.
Plans and specifications matter
The handbook's substantial-conformity language makes your approved plans and specifications useful records. Keep the final versions, not just early design concepts or an inspiration folder.
If a concern relates to what was agreed, identify the relevant document when submitting the request. A clear reference helps distinguish a suspected departure from the agreed work from a preference you developed after moving in.
Equipment and finishes need their own records
Keep manuals, model information, and warranty paperwork for installed products. Appliances and various finishes can carry separate manufacturer warranties, but the actual product documents determine coverage, duration, and claim procedures.
A manufacturer warranty does not extend the builder's warranty. Likewise, the existence of a product warranty does not establish that every issue involving that product belongs to the manufacturer; installation and product concerns need to be distinguished.
When does coverage start, and when must you report a defect?
The one-year period starts at closing, but the written reporting deadline arrives before that period ends. The handbook requires you to report covered defects in writing as soon as they are known and no later than 30 days before expiration.
Do not interpret a one-year warranty as permission to hold every concern until the anniversary of closing. Prompt reporting is an express requirement, not merely a useful habit.
For a home closing in 2026, record the actual closing date and calculate the notice deadline from the applicable expiration date. Ask the builder to confirm any uncertainty about those dates rather than estimating from your move-in day, possession arrangements, or the date you unpacked.
Keep these dates together:
- The actual closing date.
- The warranty expiration date under your documents.
- The deadline for written notice.
- The date you first observed each concern.
- The date you submitted each request.
Do not assume an inspection appointment, informal conversation, or scheduled visit replaces the required written notice. Preserve evidence that you used the specified process on time.
How do you submit a warranty request?
For non-emergency service requests, use the homeowner's Buildertrend Portal. For emergencies, call first, followed by a written request within 24 hours. These are different reporting routes; an ordinary service request should not be treated as an emergency merely to seek a faster response.
A useful written request tells the reviewer what happened and where to look. Include the following information when available:
- Location: Identify the room, component, or exterior area.
- Observation: Describe the visible or operational problem in plain language.
- Discovery: State when you first noticed it and whether it has changed.
- Evidence: Attach clear photographs and relevant documents.
- History: Note earlier requests about the same condition.
Write observations rather than unsupported diagnoses. For example, describing where moisture appears is more useful than asserting which concealed component failed without an inspection.
Save a copy of the submission and subsequent instructions. Submitting a request begins a review; it does not automatically establish coverage or a repair deadline. Do not infer a guaranteed response time from the existence of the portal.
Before closing, contact the builder if you need clarification about portal access, emergency reporting, or the documents you should retain. Establish the process before you need to use it.
Why warranty coverage varies
The written terms and the circumstances of a defect determine how a request is handled. For your 2026 home purchase, focus on these factors rather than comparing warranties by their headline duration alone:
- Scope of covered work: The handbook identifies the builder's obligations concerning plans, specifications, and covered defects.
- Exclusions and limitations: A condition must meet the actual terms; a repair need alone does not establish coverage.
- Timing: Closing starts the coverage period, and written notice must meet the applicable deadline.
- Maintenance: Normal maintenance and problems caused by a lack of maintenance are excluded.
- Product-specific protection: Separate manufacturer terms require their own verification and claim process.
- Reporting route: Non-emergencies use the portal; emergencies require a call followed by timely written notice.
These factors explain why two concerns in the same home can follow different paths. One can involve covered workmanship, another a product-specific question, and another ordinary upkeep. Keep each request distinct enough to review on its own facts.
What should you check before closing?
Read the warranty before accepting responsibility for the home, not after a problem appears. Ask where to find the handbook, how service requests work, and which maintenance instructions you need to follow.
Keep walkthrough records with your closing documents. A walkthrough record and a later warranty request serve different purposes; do not assume that documenting a concern during a visit satisfies every later reporting requirement.
Ask these questions while the documents are in front of you:
- Which plans and specifications form the final reference set?
- What does the handbook exclude?
- Where are the maintenance instructions for installed components?
- How do you access the homeowner portal?
- What is the emergency reporting procedure?
- Which product warranties require separate registration or claim steps, if any?
Murray Custom Homes is best for Lincoln-area buyers seeking custom-home design guidance and a documented limited builder's warranty. Its in-house drafting, design, and 3D renderings help define the planned home; the warranty remains limited by its written terms.
Semi-Custom Homes let buyers choose selected features and leave remaining decisions to the builder. Already-built move-in-ready homes and fully Custom Homes serve different needs, but none of those labels substitutes for reading the warranty applicable to the specific purchase.
Does a builder's warranty cover normal maintenance?
Normal maintenance is excluded, along with problems caused by a lack of maintenance. Keep the handbook and product care instructions accessible, and document the care you perform.
Do not assume a maintenance task becomes covered simply because the home is new. When you are unsure whether a condition concerns upkeep or a potential defect, describe it promptly through the required process instead of allowing uncertainty to delay notice.
Does a manufacturer warranty extend the builder's warranty?
A manufacturer warranty does not extend the one-year limited builder's warranty. It is separate protection whose scope, duration, exclusions, and claim requirements depend on the actual product.
For products installed in 2026, retain the documents supplied with those specific products. Avoid relying on a general warranty description for a different model, finish, or installation.
Can you wait until the end of the warranty to report everything?
No: covered defects must be reported in writing as soon as known and no later than 30 days before expiration. An anniversary checklist does not replace prompt notice.
A personal reminder is still useful for reviewing your records and checking unresolved requests. Set it early enough to act, but report newly discovered concerns when you find them rather than saving them for that reminder.
FAQ
How does a builder’s warranty work on a new custom home?
A builder’s warranty defines covered defects, exclusions, coverage dates, and the process for requesting service. The written terms determine whether a particular concern qualifies; new construction does not mean every repair is covered.
How long is Murray Custom Homes’ builder’s warranty?
Murray Custom Homes provides a one-year limited builder’s warranty, subject to the warranty handbook’s terms and exclusions. The period begins at closing, and covered defects must be reported in writing as soon as known and no later than 30 days before expiration.
Where do I submit a non-emergency warranty request?
Submit non-emergency service requests through the homeowner’s Buildertrend Portal. Include the location, observed problem, discovery date, and useful supporting photographs or documents.
What should I do for an emergency warranty request?
Call first for an emergency, then follow with a written request within 24 hours. Follow the emergency instructions in your homeowner documents rather than relying only on an ordinary portal request.
Does the builder’s warranty cover maintenance?
Normal maintenance and problems caused by a lack of maintenance are excluded. Follow the handbook and the care instructions supplied with the home’s components.
Are appliances covered for the same period as the house?
Do not assume appliances have the same coverage period as the builder’s warranty. Separate manufacturer warranties require verification of the specific product, coverage, duration, and claim procedure.
One last thing
A warranty deadline is not a suggested inspection date. The requirement to report defects as soon as known means the safest habit is prompt documentation and written notice, not saving a list for the end of the year.
Before you put the closing folder away, make sure you can find the handbook and access the reporting channel. Those practical steps matter more than remembering the warranty's headline duration.
Related guides
- From final walkthrough to key handoff
- How semi-custom feature selection becomes a build schedule
- From design consultation to 3D rendering approval
